Ep 76 | Escaping the Splinternet with Vitalik Buterin* of Ethereum

Blockchain and financial applications have been linked from the beginning. When Satoshi Nakamato published the original Bitcoin white paper in 2008, he titled it, “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System.” Today, the lion’s share of crypto headlines are about financial losses. So it’s understandable that people associate chains with financial assets.  But open, public blockchains have massive utility beyond financial applications. One of the first innovators to recognize this potential was Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin*.  In Ethereum, the Russian-Canadian computer programmer has conceived, developed, and upgraded a decentralized chain with smart-contract functionality and made it into a transformative piece of infrastructure that enables new forms of political, corporate, and social organizations. (USDC circulates on many blockchains; as of January 12, 2023, a majority of the supply circulates on Ethereum.) In a conversation they recorded this past September in San Francisco at Converge22, Circle’s inaugural ecosystem summit, Vitalik and Jeremy Allaire reviewed Ethereum’s important technological progress, impediments to scaling utility, and the new models of cooperation this base layer of trust can enable.

Om Podcasten

The global economy is experiencing unprecedented change. Business leaders everywhere are grappling with how to transform their companies to become more digital, resilient and efficient. As we face this change, a new global movement is building around the promise of digital currencies and blockchains, forming a new architecture for the global economy and creating new opportunities for companies and people everywhere. Jeremy Allaire explores and chronicles the ideas and opportunities that are driving this new world of digital money through discussions with leaders in blockchain, crypto, DeFi, and financial inclusion. The Money Movement is brought to you by Circle and USDC. Our mission is to raise global economic prosperity through the frictionless exchange of financial value. Learn more about Circle and USDC at https://circle.com. Watch episodes, highlights and more at https://www.circle.com/en/the-money-movement.